Now Mrs Purcell, who lives with her husband and four children, is to receive a Royal Humane Society testimonial on vellum, which has been personally approved and will be signed by Princess Alexandra, the society’s president.

Mr Dewey explained how he had flown the aircraft the previous day from Churt, south of Farnham, to Old Sarum, near Salisbury, and carried out checks to change the fuel source to the fullest tank and activate the electrical fuel pump.

Unfortunately, a fuel gauge fault meant that he actually changed to the tank with the least fuel.

“The aeroplane stopped close to Wishanger Farm airfield in Churt, which is an equestrian strip and has a rule that we have to fly very low to alert any equestrians riders,” Mr Dewey said.

“They vacate the strip so the horses do not get spooked.

“Then I climbed and did an around circuit to go back to land safely. The engine stopped over woodland and I had to land in the trees – I was too low to land any-where else. I landed on the ground upside down. I was unconscious and the aircraft was inverted.”

Charlotte Purcell stayed with the injured pilot for five hours before the air ambulance arrived (Image: Ollie Shorthose)